Rotary valve



June 9, 1925. 1,540,808

- c. A. SAWTELLE ROTARY VALVE Filed 001.. 25, 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet l v Q N I I I 3140a 01 m| k I CASA WTELL E. 3 N

June 9, '1925.

I C. A. SAWTELLE R0 TARY VALVE Filed Oct. 23, 1920 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lNTAKE CL05D'-COMP/?$5/0M EXHAUST a4 0550.

(/VTAKEREAPY T0 vPE V,

IGN/ TION. EXHAUST READY TO OPEN.

awuq ltoz C. A. SA WTELLE.

7 1 Not-14 in Patented June 9, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES A. SAWTELLE, OF DETROIT,MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR ONE-FOURTH TO G. EDWARD HUFF, 0F DETROIT, MICHIGAN; ONE-FOURTH TO BERT E.'COOK AND ONE-FOURTH TO A. E. LEAS, BOTH OF YPSILANTI, MICHIGAN.

ROTARY VALVE.

Application-filed October 23, 1920. Serial No. 419,04=1.

T 0 all to 710m it may concern:

Be it'known that I, CHARLES A. Saw'rnnnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, in the county of lVa-yne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Valves, of

1 which the following is a specification, reterence being had therein to. the accompany ing drawing. v 1 This invention relates. to a rotary valve for internal combustion engines.

'One objectof the invention is to provide. a simple slow. moving rotary valve which will efficiently control both the intake and exhaust for an internal combustion engine and which may be constructed for use with an engine comprising a single cylinder, or aplurality of cylinders, with the cylinders cast either individually or en bloc.

A further object of the invention is to provide a rotary valve of such a character that the rotary valve member will always be firmly seated about the ports off-the valve casing regardless of. whether or not it fits tightly in the valve casing. I

A further object of the invention is to provide a rotary valve in which both the rotary valve member and the valve casing will be water cooled.

A further object of the invention is to provide a rotary valve in which the valve casing will automatically take up wear, and will take care of unequal expansion of the parts.

Other objects of the invention will appear as the device is described in detail.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a plan view of a rotary valve embodying my invention, progressively broken away to show different parts thereof; Fig. 2 is side elevation of such a valve, progressively broken away to show difierent parts thereof; Fig. 3is a transverse sectional view taken through the valve and the upper portion of a cylinder; Fig. 4 is a. plan view of a portion of a valve for a multiple cylinder engine; Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8 are sectional detail views of the valve showing the valve member in successive positions.

Inthese drawings I have illustrated one embodiment of my invention and have shown the same as comprising a valve casing having a cylindrical valve chamber which is connected by a port with an engine cylinder and 1s PIOV'ldGd on opposite sides of the cylinder port with an intake port and an exhaust port, respectively. Rotatably mounted within the valve chamber is a valve member having a plurality of peripheral port-s arranged circumferentially thereof and spaced apart equal distances,

The valve member is rotated, preferably from a moving part of the engine,in timed relation to the movements ofthe piston so that each of said peripheral ports will be in operative relation to said cylinder portw duringone-fourth of the cycle of the op oration-of the engine, and theports leading-Ito and from the valve chamber are so arranged that the movement of the valve member while each peripheral port is in operative relation to thecylinder port will cause saidcylinder port to be first connected with the intake port during the suction stroke of the engine piston, then disconnected from both the intake port and the exhaust port during the compression and power strokes of the piston, and then connected with the exhaust port during the exhaust. stroke of the piston. In this manto control the intake and exhaust to and :trom the engine cylinder during one complete'operation of the engine p ston. The

the particular embodiment of the invention here shown has been chosen forthe purposes of illustration only.

In that particular embodiment of the invention here illustrated the valve, as a whole comprises a valve casing having a longitudinal, cylindrlcal chamber, or bore, extending lengthwise thereof, and is preferably divided along a horizontal plane into two parts, each of which contains a portion of the valve chamber. Thelower portion of the valve chamber, which is indicated at 1, may, if desired, be formed integral with the head,or heads, of the cylinder, or cylinders, 2 with which it cooperates. The

. upper portion 3 of the valve casing is removably mounted on the lower portion thereof and. is preferably provided with reinforcing .ribs 4 extending transversely 1 'nereachperipheral port of the valve serves from, witlranintake port 6 and an eX haust port 7, which communicate IQS1D60t1VG' thereof. The valve. chamber is provided with a port 5 leading therefrom to each cylinder 2 of the engine and is also provided, on opposite sides of the cylinder port 5 and spaced relatively short distances therely with the intake and exhaust manifold of the engine, which are not here shown; Ro tatably mounted within the valve chamber is a valve member 8 which is provided in its exterior surface with a plurality of series of recesses, or peripheral ports, 9, the ports of each series being arranged circumferen tially of the valve member and spaced apart one from'the other such distances that the intermediate portions or the valve vmember will have sufficient area of contact with the 'wall of the valve chamber to form tight joints between the valve member and the valve casing. The several series of periph- 'eral ports are spaced apart one from the other distances sufliclent to prevent the escape of gases from the ports of one to the portsor another series. p

The valve may be constructed for a single cylinder or for a multiple cylinder engine,

and inasmuch as the valve construction for a multiple cylinder engine is merely a duplication of that for a single cylinder engine I will describe the operation of the valve as if it were applied to a single cylinder engine. The rotary valve member is rotated in timed relation to the movements of the engine piston, which is shown at 10, and the number of peripheral ports in each series'is determined to a large measure by the speed at which the valve member is rotated. In the present instance, the valve is designed to rotate at one-eighth the speed of rotation of the engine shaft and will, therefore, complete one-fourth of a -rotat-ion during each complete operation, of four strokes, of the engine piston, and I have provided the valve member with four peripheral ports in each series. The valve may be rotated 1n any suitable manner andyI have here shown the same as having a part suitable operating mechanism The ports 5, 6 and 7 leading to and from the valve chamber are so arranged with relation one to the other and to the valve member that during each quarter rotation of the valve member one of the peripheral ports 9 will be in operative relation to the cylinder port 5 and the movement of the valve through this quarter rotation will cause the cylinder port to befirst connected withthe intake port 6, then disconnected both from themtake port and from theexhaust port, and thenconnected with the exhause port. Just series prior to the beginning of the suction stroke of the piston 10 the valve member 8 will occupy substantially the position shown in Fig. 5, in which the intake port 6 is in open communication with one'of the. peripheral ports 9 of the valve member and the cylinder port 5 is closed. lVith the beginning of the suction stroke of the piston the move- .ment of the valve member will cause the cyltake port andthe exhaust port, and consequently, the cylinder port is disconnected from the intake port and exhaust port. At the end of the compression stroke and at the time of ignition the valve will occupy substantially the position shown in Fig. 7, in whichboth the'intake port and the exhaust portare still closed, and it is not until the completion of the power stroke of the piston that the valve member assumes the position shown in Fig. 8'in which it is just ready to open the exhaust port,'the same peripheral'port 9 being still in open. communication with the cylinder port. At the beginning of the exhaust st'roke of the ton the exhaust port will be opened and thus connected-with the cylinder port to permit the escape of the burned gases fromthe engine cylinder, and at the end of the exhaust stroke the valve will have again assumed substantially the position shown in F ig; 5

in which the cylinder port is closed and the next succeeding peripheral port of the valve member is in communication with the intake port and in a position to connect this port.- with the cylinder port upon the further ro 'tation of the valve member. projecting beyond the end of the valve cas- It will'be noted thatthe ports 5, 6 and 7 all communicate with the valve chamber belowthe horizontal center thereof; and, consequently the weight ofthe valve member will hold the same firmly in contact with the walls of the valve chamber about theseveral ports leading to and from the same at all times, regardless of whether or not the valve member fits tightly within the valve chamber, thus insuring tight joints which will preventthe escape of gas from one port to another between the valve member and the walls of the valvechamber. I'll-ave,- however, provided means for automatically compensating for or taking up the wear'of' the valve 'memberandvalve casing and to'this end the removable 'upperportion, or cap,

3 ofthe valve casing, which is securedto thelower portion of'said casing by means of bolts 12, is yieldably mounted, this being accoinplished by interposing springs 13 between the cap and the nuts on. the bolts 12. In this manner the cap is held firmly in engagement with the valve member and, further, the cap is permitted to yield to compensate for unequal expansion and con traction of the parts.

The" lower portion of the valve casing is preferably water cooled and I have here shown the same as provided with water passages 14' cast integral therewith and adapted to be connected by bosses 15'with the water cooling system of the engine or with any other suitable source of water supply.

I also prefer. that the valve member itself shall be water coo-led and to this end I have formed the same hollow so as to provide it with a. water passageway 16 extendlng' lengthwise thereof, and I have provided the end portions ofthe valve member, beyond the valve casing, with nipples 17 having swivelled connection with thevalve member and adapted to connect the same with the water cooling system of the engine or any other suitable source of water supply. I have also provided the valve member within the water passageway 16 with a device to cause circulation of the water independently of the circulation of the water in the cooling system of the engine, and to this end I have mounted at one end of the valve member and within the passageway 16 vanes 18 which are set at such anan de that they will cause the water to circiilate within the valve. j

The upper portion, or cap, 3 of the valve casing has formed therein a longitudinally understood from the foregoin description and it will be apparent that I have provided a very simple slow moving valve which will efficiently control the intake and exhaust for the engine cylinder and which is of'such a character that it is readily adaptable for use in either a single cylinder or multiple cylinder engine. Further, it will be apparent that I have provided means for so cooling both the valve member and the valve casing as to prevent excessive inequalities off" expansion and contraction, and that I have I so constructed the valve casing as to permit of a certain amountof unequal expansion and contraction. It will be apparent that art.

.tion,'what I claim as new and desire coo-ling means and the temperature ofwhich 1s controlled by sald valve, sald capbeing the upper portion or cap 3 of the valvejcas-' mg is separate from the lower water cooled portion of the casing and that its chamber will be effected but little, if any, by the circulation of the waiter inco-ntact with the lower portion of the valve'casing; As aresult the cap receives its heat from. the valve member itself and is free to expand and con:

tract in direct proportion to the 'heat thus transmitted to it by the valve member and fins so that the cap will to a certain extent be air cooled. When the engine is first started into operation the valve will be quickly heated because of the direct contact of the hot gases therewith and this heat will be transmitted to the separate cap of the valve casingso that the cap will. expand to substantially the same extent as the valve. The capwill not become overheated because the valve itself is water cooled and will not transmit sufiicient heat to the. cap to overheat" the same althou-gh'thecap is cooled only to a limited extent by air. Further, it will be apparent that all parts of the cap are free to "expand and contract and if one part of the valve is cooled to a greater extent than the other, thus'causing an uneven expansion thereof, the cap will also be unevenly heated and will expand in the same. manner and to the same extent as the valve expands.

While I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention. I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the details thereof as various modifications may occur to a person skilled in the Having now fullydescribed my invento secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In an internal"combustion engine, a

cylinder, a valve casing carried by said ed in said chamber and having a peripheral port to successively connect said cylinder port with'said inlet port and said outlet poit, and means for cooling said cylinder, said valve casing comprising a portion constituting a .cap which is independent of said free to expand and contract uniformly with saidfvalve and thereby maintain a uniform clearance between the same and said valve. 2. In an internal combustion engine a cylinder, a valve casing carried by said cylin- I der and having a cylindrical chamber, said casing liavingan inlet port, an outlet port der and having a cylindricalchamber, said -casing having an, inlet port, an outlet port and port connecting said chamber with .means for circulating water in contact with said cylinder and the lower portion of said valve cas ng and through said valve, said casing being divided longitudinally to provide a cap which is separate from and detachably secured to the lower portion of said casing and thetemperatureof which is controlled by said valve, said cap being free to expand-and contract uniformly with said ,valve and thereby maintain a uniform clearance between the. same andsaid valve. 3. In an internal combustion vengine, a cylnder, a valve casing carried'by said cyl nand a port connecting said chamber with said cylinder, a valve rotatably .mounted in said chamberand having a peripheral port,

means to rotate said valve in a direction to move said peripheral port from said inlet stitnting a cap which isindependent of said cooling means and the temperature of which I port and the exhaust port duringthe comis controlled by said valve and the exhaust gases carried into contact therewith by said w vperipheral port, said cap being free to ex pand and contract un formly with said valve and thereby maintain a uniforin clearance between the same and saidvalve.

.4. In an internal combustion engine,,a valve casing having a cylindrical. chamber, means for cooling a portion of said chamher, and a valve rotatably mounted in said chamber, said casing being divided longitudinally to provide a cap separate from said ,cooled portion of. saidicasing and independent of said cooling means,vall parts ofsaid cap being free to expand and contract under the influence of heat transmitted to it by said valveand uniformly with the expansion and contraction of saidvvalve.

5. In a rotaryvalve for aninternal conibustion engine, a valve casing having acylindrical chamber, a port leading from said chamber to the cylinder of the engine, intake and exhaust ports communicating with said chamber on opposite sides of said cyl-,

iipheral ports arranged circumferentially thereof, and means for rotating said valve [in timed relation to the movements ofjthe piston of said engine to cause said peripheral ports tobe moved successively into' operative relation with said cylinder'port, said hereto. H

peripheralports being so arranged and the rotation of saidvalve so timed as to cause each peripheralport to be in operative relation to said cylinder port during the four compression and power strokes of this pis-.

ton, and then connectedwith the exhaust port during the exhaust stroke of the piston.

6. In arotary valve for an internal conibustion engine, a valve casing having a cy-- .lindrical chamber, aport leading from said chamber to the cylinder of the engine, intake and exhaust ports communicating with said chamber on oppositesides of saidcylinder port, avalve rotatably mounted in said chamber, and having four peripheral ports spaced equal distances apart about the circumference thereof, and means for moving said valve through one-fourth of a rotation during each four strokes ot-the piston of said engine, the ports'in said valve casing being so arranged with relation to said peripheral ports thatisaid one-fourth rotation of said valve will causethe cylinder 'port to be first connected with the intake port during the suction stroke of the piston and then disconnected from both the intake peripheral portremaining in communication with said cylinder port during the four strokes ofsaid pistons.

7. In a rotary valve for an internal combustionengine, a valve casing having a cylindrical chamber, a port lead ngfrOm said chamberto the cylinder of the engine, iiitake and exhaust ports communicating with said chamber on opposite sides otsaid cylinder port, -a valve rotatably mountedin said chamber and having a plurality of peripheral ports arranged circumfei'entially thereof,s'aid intake port and said exhaust port being spaced respectively from said cylinder port distances greater than the distances between adjacent peripheral ports in said valve, and means for rotating said valve member in timed relation to the movements of the piston of said engine to cause said peripheral ports to be 'moved successively into operative relation to said cy'linder'port and to cause said valve to be sojoperated that each port will be in operative relation to said cylinder port during the four strokes of the piston of said engine.

In testimony whereoflI affix inys'ignature CHARLES A. sAWT LLE; 

